The Journey To Georgia Tech.

The U.S. education system is unrivalled worldwide in the choice it offers of types of institutions, academic and social environments, resources, faculty, facilities, and flexibility of courses. As an investment in ones future, a U.S. degree offers excellent value for the money. Applying to college takes thought, effort, and organization. College applications seem overwhelming at first glance. Choosing colleges from thousands of miles away presents some challenges— especially when there are so many great colleges to choose from in the United States. I picked out the universities of my choice by reflecting upon my own needs, interests, abilities, and on what the respective schools could offer.

Subsequently, I short listed six colleges that included my "dream" schools, "realistic" schools, and "safe" schools and got started on the applications right away. Applying online was the right option for me. I spent the next few weeks in working hard on the college essays. I also requested the principal, and the science and math teachers for appraisals and letters of recommendation. In addition, I registered to take the necessary standardized tests—the SAT, SAT subject tests, and TOEFL (since English is not my native language). Once all the required documents were arranged, I organized them into separate files by college and mailed them via DHL. The ease of applying online added icing to the cake.

Thereafter, I joined the Princeton Review at NFC in New Delhi to prepare for the standardized tests. The brainstorming was rewarding indeed. I took the SAT, SAT subject tests, and TOEFL in October, November, and December respectively. It was an exciting experience. I made sure that the scores were sent to each of the colleges. Then I chilled out for some days and celebrated Christmas and New Year. It was a much-needed break.

By mid- March, I heard from the colleges about the admission decisions. To my delight, I had been accepted and offered admission at five universities (including one of my "dream" colleges— Georgia Tech)

The admission and scholarship decisions were as follows:
1> Georgia Institute of Technology — Accepted

Georgia Tech Acceptance Letter

2> Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Not Accepted

MiT Decision Letter

3> Purdue University — Accepted, Valedictorian Scholarship, Merit Scholarship

Purdue University Acceptance Letter

4> Texas A&M University — Accepted

Texas A&M University Acceptance Letter

5> University of Minnesota Twin Cities at Minneapolis — Accepted, Global Excellence Scholarship

University of Minnesota Acceptance Letter

University of Minnesota Global Excellence Scholarship

6> University of Texas at Austin — Accepted

Without an iota of doubt, I gladly accepted Georgia Tech's offer of admission. I submitted the Acceptance deposit, the Residence-Hall Housing prepayment, the Online-Housing application, the Medical Records form, and the Certificate of Immunization. I also mailed the official attested high school transcripts to the admissions office. Upon receipt of my I-20 form, I applied to the U.S. embassy in New-Delhi for a non-immigrant visa of five years duration. Much to my relief, I was granted the visa after an interview at the US embassy. "You are all set to leave. All the best!" said the consul.

As of now, I have registered for the New Student Orientation-FASET (Familiarization and Adaptation to the Surroundings and Environs of Tech). Nowadays, I am shopping for the items I will need in college and I am anxiously looking forward to attending Tech this fall.